Her eyes met mine, and I saw a flash of anger in them. “You didn’t have to leave to do that.”
“Yes,” I said. “I did.”
“You wouldn’t hurt me,” she whispered.
I met her eyes, and let her see the pain in them, for just an instant. Then I swallowed. “I can’t always control it, Riley. And the thought of hurting you—” My voice broke.
But her eyes blazed at me. “You have no idea what we might be able to achieve, together.”
It wasn’t just the risk. It was me. Who I now was. The things I’d done were unforgivable. Evil. Controlling creatures as their life drained away. Feeding off another’s torment. Killing Laila. If Riley had any idea—
When I only stared at her, she turned her head away. “I am surrounded by assholes.”
Okay. I guess I deserved that. “Hold on to that anger, it will help you through this.” I took her hand, and her entire arm tensed. “Try to relax. You might not feel this first bit. If you feel sleepy, go with it.”
“Sleepy,” she said, “Wouldn’t have been my word of choice.” The look she gave me pierced straight through to something that remained hopeful despite my efforts.
I took a deep breath. “Close your eyes.”
She sighed, and did so. With her hand clenched in my own, it was only marginally better. I closed mine as well and went in search of an addiction.
Minutes later, I was working to maintain a calm façade, because what I found was terrifying. There wasn’t an organ or system in her body that wasn’t completely breaking down. The subsequent inflammation was out of control.
It was killing her.
I fought back the panic, because I wasn’t sure I could help her. Her only chance was to embrace her Dragon, but Isobel had done the calling of the beasts from within the Centaurs. I’d merely done my best to keep their bodies working toward a shift change instead of imploding. With variable success, because they’d fought it every step of the way.
But I’d helped Marcus find his equine, and I could call on that experience to find Riley’s Dragon. I imagined what it might look like. Her hair was black, so she’d have black scales. Not solid in color, but like Lucas’s, they would gleam with blues and greens in the light. And her eyes—they’d be green. Sleek, she’d be sleek and beautiful, with a graceful arch to her neck, and talons as black as her scales.
As I imagined it, I projected it through her life essence. Calling to what I hoped would be there, if only I could find it.
And I sensed the merest hint of a response, buried beneath the inflammation. It was only developing, and not yet ready to surface.
My mind raced, searching for ideas. Riley’s fledgling Dragon wasn’t her only chance to overcome what the dust had done to her. She was also a Morph, or part, at least. She’d been a Dragon once before, and she could do it again. Even holding that form for a short time could help her.
So I added what I remembered from my shared vision with Havoc, the voluptuous and beautiful golden Dragon who had mated with him.
I heard her gasp as the Dragona took hold, surging to the surface.
“Riley,” I said. “Your Dragon is not quite ready, but you can call on the yellow one.”
“Vali,” she whispered. “Her name is Vali.”
“Tap into her,” I said. “It will help with the addiction until your own Dragon can take over.”
Her gaze locked with mine.
“One step at a time, okay? Your body needs to be cleansed of the addiction. This is not going to be easy, or quick. You have to stay with me.”
She nodded.
“Do you think you can transform to Vali?”
“Maybe. I think so.” Her voice was hoarse.
“Visualize her, and change. I’ll support you through.” I clenched my hand around the crystals, pulling power from them and feeding it to her.
Her body leaped to devour it, eager for its strength, but I held it back. She needed it to make the shift, and if I let her body absorb it, it would only make her addiction worse.
